Western Railroad Discussion > New Mexico trip last week - Belen and Santa Fe

My wife and I took out annual sojourn to the Southwest last week - Monday 9/16 - Friday 9/20.    We decided to check out New Mexico this year - Albuquerque and Santa Fe.   Hit everything we had planned during that time and had a great time.  I planned our first and last nights' stays below Albuquerque to put me close to Belen and get a bit of BNSF Transcon action both mornings.  Tuesday morning I spent about an hour and a half at the west end of the yard at Belen Jct, which offered the bonus of the southern terminus of the New Mexico Railrunner service.

When I had arrives a single unit - 7981 - had pulled out west of the interlocking.  I didn't make out then entire radio conversation, but it was an add-on to a train at one of the fuel pads.   

Next up was a 5-unit intermodal (I'm guessing a Z train) - 6978/7340/3885/5643/6577 - came eastbound into the yard.

Once it cleared a yard job - I think Y-BEL-1011 - with a former BN SD40-2 - pulled out a cut of intermodal to be added to an eastbound.   

That was my first 7 minutes.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/24 16:27 by sscannella.

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As all of that was occurring, Railrunner train 507 had come in behind me, and quickly set up for its northbound departure.  I then had a short wait before a westbound stack train - with a warbonnet wedged in the middle - 5663/707/6792.

And before the westbound cleared, a 4X2 intermodal arrived - 6652/7045/6890/745 - 6728/7873 R DPUs.

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These are the two DPUs.

Then 12 minutes later I got another westbound move with the added-on 7981 plus 5326/7627/5405.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/24 16:28 by sscannella.

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And a couple more before I headed to the motel to pick up my wife and start our "other" activities around Albuquerque then drive the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe.

A two unit set - 5771/7746 - headed north to pick up cars at Albuquerque and then a final eastbound with 7529/6881/6161/4215.

I'd say a somewhat productive way to start the morning.

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I started off Wednesday morning with a walk over to the Santa Fe "Railyard" where I took a couple pictures of the station there.   Then we were off for the day to the Bandelier National monument and Tsankawi Prehistoric site to hike and check out Indian ruins.

We got back to Santa Fe with just enough time to get to Zia Rd to catch Roadrailer train 101 heading south.   There is a station just behind us across the road, but this train is the "Express" and does not stop there.   We both really liked the Roadrunner scheme on the power and trainsets.

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Thursday was the day to visit the historic sites and artisans and market place around Santa Fe.  Before heading out, I again headed over to "Railyard" again to Manhattan Ave, where I got some shots of another Roadrunner set alongside the Santa Fe Southern/Sky Rail "wolf" GP7.    The SFS crew was making a move with the power and one car to head south to Lamy (unfortunately I didn't have my video camera with me!) 

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After our adventures in town, it was time to head back south toward Albuquerque.   We had just enough time to head to the Cerillos Rd crossing where this caboose stands and I got 507 heading south (and my wife got to visit one more store across Cerillos Ave!) 

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Our flight back east from Albuquerque to Harrisburg (via Dallas-Ft Worth) was scheduled for Friday afternoon, so I had some free time Friday morning to head back to Belen (with my wife this time).  There was a grade crossing on the Clovis Sub just east of the yard that I wanted to check out, but suprise to me, a replacement bridge was under construction and the road was closed.   So I went back to Belen Jct, and what do find but a pair of NS engines 4859/9779) ready to depart on a westbound.   Turns out the train was Q-NYCLAC, which startes out at NS's Coxton Yard in northern New Jersey as 21W, then works Harrisburg Yard about a mile and a half from my home.   I often see it leaving Harrisburg mid-afternoon (I confirmed via the PT242.com website that this was indeed 21W over Horseshoe Curve Monday evening 9/16.)  Incidently, the 4859 is a Wabtec-Erie AC44C6M rebuild of former GECX/BNSF DASH-9 44CW 4947, which most likely plied these same rails in its former life.. 

Just before it pulled, an eastbound stack train - S-LBTMEM1 - in a 1 X 2 power configuration with not one but 2 warbonnets came around the curve and into the yard and onto one of the fuel pads.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/24 20:01 by sscannella.

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Here's the DPs with 6437/769 at the rear of the stacker.

It was now time to depart back to Albuquerque, but there was one more - a mixed freight (5773/5306/1093) sitting at a holdout for the yard to the west near the interchange with I-25.   And just below the train was the colony of bee hives which I found quite interesting, we spied several more of these along the ride on I-25 back north.

Great trip overall, but I definitely need to get back to focus on this section of the Transcon.  Would have liked to have gone over to Abo Canyon, but just didn't have time for that with my wife along.  I'm thinking of taking a week and starting at Albuquerque and working my way west to Flagstaff then back east.   Maybe next spring.

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Wow sscannella, you absolutely knocked it out of the park with that set! Sweet range of perfect light Railrunner photos and vids too; that’s such a neat looking train. But knockin’ down warbonnets in original warbonnet territory—booyah! Well Done.

Tom (PNW near Seattle)

Thanks for sharing this fine set from your vacation. I really liked your coverage of the NM Rail Runner. 

The 700 and low 4700 seriers is so OVERRATED. I hate seeing them now. Its like big deal, I remember when these we're new guys.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/24 05:31 by Brian_P.

Very niceseries of photos. Well composed pictures.
John

Brian_P Wrote:
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> The 700 and low 4700 seriers is so OVERRATED. I
> hate seeing them now. Its like big deal, I
> remember when these we're new guys.

Keep in mind that I'm from the East Coast, so living in a world of NS black, seeing old warbonnets is a "big" deal.

Nit-picking a Warbonnet livery…?
Blasphemy! Somebody send a BNSF Vomit Bonnet to his territory! 😁

•Tom (Seattle area)

Posted from iPhone

Great stuff..!!  Thanks for posting.

Great sound in that first video!  Was that train going up a grade, or was the train just underpowered?

Thanks!
Oliver Barrett

ShoreLineRoute Wrote:
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> Great sound in that first video!  Was that train
> going up a grade, or was the train just
> underpowered?
>
> Thanks!
> Oliver Barrett
Just starting out from the fueling station past the bridge, but then it does start pulling upgrade just a little bit past the station where I was shooting from.  Heres the fueling station, this train was the one in the middle....

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